Section 1905.40  Assessments

a)         Licensed evaluators conduct sexual abuser-specific assessments to promote informed decision making among stakeholders who share responsibility for treatment, risk management and other domains of intervention.  Empirically informed and reliable sexual abuser-specific assessments can be used, for example, to inform:

1)         Sentencing and other legal decisions;

2)         Treatment planning and progress;

3)         Release decision making;

4)         Transition and reentry planning; and

5)         Supervision and other case management planning.

b)         Sexual abuser-specific assessments are most reliable and beneficial when evaluators adhere to ethical practice, incorporate multiple sources of information, use research-supported methodologies, and strive to engage clients in the assessment process.  Furthermore, these assessments are most effective for guiding decision making, maximizing public safety, and promoting successful client outcomes when conducted within the evidence-based risk, need and responsivity framework.

c)         Because risk, needs and other circumstances change over time, assessments of sexual abusers are ongoing processes, not a single event.  Research-informed tools that include dynamic risk factors specific to adult sexual abusers are important for obtaining a more accurate understanding of the current risk and intervention needs of a given individual and for informing adjustments to interventions accordingly.